1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vending machines, and more particularly, is directed to a flat package vending machine having a rotary type coin accepting apparatus as the actuating mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous types of coin operated vending machines have been and are currently in common use throughout the country to vend a multitude of diverse products. The prior and current type vending machines encompass various types of mechanical operators, electrical operators and numerous combinations of both. The devices presently in use can vary from the simplest type of mechanical designs to highly sophisticated electrically and electronically functioned machines. Generally speaking, the presently available coin operated vending machines are usually installed and deployed in and about congested and quite costly commercial space, for example within stores, public areas, theaters and other places which tend to attract large crowds of people, and consequently, large crowds of potential purchasers.
Due to the highly restricted nature of the areas which are currently made available to accommodate vending machines, such vending space is always at a premium. The very limited space that can be committed to vending operations requires a highly efficient and attractive vending machine installation program in order to maximize the expected return. Because of the highly restrictive space made available for vending machines, such spaces have tended to become over utilized and crowded. Quite often, numerous machines vending different products are installed together in gangs in a manner to vend the maximum number of products in a minimum amount of space. Under such conditions, it is almost always necessary to provide strictly front coin acceptance and product delivery to maximize the efficiency of the available vending space. Due to the nature of the industry, current vending machines have tended to become standardized in size and type of operation to thereby facilitate the placement and interchanging of machines, either singly or in any desired multiples.
The industry standard at this time appears to be approaching a modular type of vending machine that is approximately ten inches by ten inches in cross sectional dimensions, approximately twenty-four inches high having a removable top for servicing and being equipped with a rotary type coin accepting mechanism for vending.
Such rotary coin accepting mechanisms are well known in the art and are quite reliable and efficient when vending small, three dimensional articles, for example gum, candy and similar products. However, in those instances where it is intended to vend a substantially two dimensional article, for example a card or other flat object, it has heretofore been the common practice to employ horizontal, reciprocating type of coin chutes, which chutes function to both accept and move coins in a horizontal plane and to simultaneously arm the mechanism for repeated horizontal dispensing of the flat packages. U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,784, entitled "Flat Package Vending Machine", which is owned by the assignee of the present application, is typical of a prior are type flat package vending machine which incorporates horizontal coin slides. While such prior art flat package vending machines function satisfactorily to efficiently vend a number of diverse items contained in flat package arrangement, the popularity of such prior art flat package vending machines has suffered due to their inherent need for additional floor space for display and vending purposes.